The 2014 Innovation By Design Awards will celebrate the year’s most ambitious ideas, products, and business ventures. Finalists will be featured in the design issue of Fast Company magazine, and winners will be unveiled at an awards ceremony in October. Register today.

In 2013, we put out a call to the design and business communities: What are the best design-driven innovations of the past year? We received more than 1,200 submissions from big corporations, small shops, and students from around the world.

advertisement

Here are the 2013 finalists and winner in the Social Good category. They should give you a good sense of what the judges will be looking for in this year’s competition.